Turbine engine



Jan. l5, 1935.

F. G. MOORE 1,987,699

TURBINE ENGINE Filed Oct. 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l F. G. MOORE TURBINEENGINE Jan. l5, v1935.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct.

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Jan. 15, 1935.. F, G' MQORE 1,987,699

TURBINE ENGINE Filed Oct. 16, 1950 5 SheetS--SM-e'tl 5 Patented Jan.yl5, 1935 UNITED STAII .PATEN oFFic Application Gctober 16,

12 Cla.

This invention relates to turbine engines, and an object of theinvention is to provide an engine of this character comparatively simplein construction, formed with a minimum of work- 5 ing parts which willrequire a minimum of lubrication and which will yield a. maximum ofpower through utilization of combustion gases as a power inducingmedium.

A further object of the invention is to provide an engine of thischaracter which will provide a larger cylinder volume and only requiringa minimum of cooling surface, by reason of the small area. subjected tohigh temperature.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure of thischaracter which will provide for the highest possible speed with low gasconsumption, a maximum expansion of combustion elements and a maximumcompression at the beginning of expansion.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a structure whichwill be easy to start on any fuel, due to reduction of the powerrequired to overcome compression.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure which may beeconomically constructed in a great range of sizes and correspondlngpower delivery speeds.

I With these and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel engine structure hereinafter described in the presentspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which formpart of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken through the engine.

Figure 2 is a transverse section onthe line 2-2 of Figure 1 with partsbroken away to .show the vanes and their relation with the cylinders.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure 1 illustrating the geartrain.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1illustrating the arrangement of the pistons with the cam track.

Figure 5 is a detailed perspective of one of the sleeve pistons, g

Figure 6 isa detail view of one form of igni` tion arrangement, and

Figure '7 is a sectional detail of one form of construction for minutelyadjusting the position of the cam tracks.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A indicates the engine as awhole including the stationary casing 10 which is of cylindrical formand closed at each end by the end plates 1l. The end plates are formedwith a circular ange 12 i930, sei-iai No. 439,016

(on. so-41) forming a housing for the main shaft bearing 13 which may beof the ball or roller type. 'I'he shaft 14 is journalled in thesebearings and is bored part of its length as at15- to conduct the fuel tothe cylinders.

A cage 16 of any desirable form may be mounted on one end of the endplates 11 and any suitable form of carburetor and supercharger may beconnected with the bore l5 of the shaft 14 to supply a combustiblemixture. Centrally of the shaft 14 a disc 16a is secured, provided witha plurality of radially extending passages 16h communicating with thecylinders 1'7 which are supported in their position by the disc 16a anddiscs 18 secured on the shaft on each side of the disc 16a.

One salient feature of my invention is apparent in the formation of thepistons which are mounted in the cylinders opposed to one another in theform of a plunger `piston 19 and a sleeve piston 20, the plunger pistonworking Within the sleeve of the sleeve piston. These pistons areprovided with extensions 21 which are recessed at a given point` to forma channel 22 therein. In each end of the channel, ball bearings or thelike 23 are suitably mounted and the channel is adapted to extend aroundcircular cam tracks 24, the ball bearings 23 bearing on the edges ofsaid tracks. The tracks are supported in inclined relation.- to thecylinders by a web 25 from a cylindrical cage or supporting structure26. This cage may be of any desirable form and functions throughout asan operating member for the engine in that it serves to control theoperation of the pistons and the rotation of the drive shaft, as morefully referred to hereinafter. It is preferably assembled in sections asillustrated. In the ends of this cage or control member a suitablehousing 27 is preferably formed adapted to house the radial shaftbearings 28 which are positioned adjacent the bearings 13. To the end ofthe cage or control member 26 and loosely extending around the shaft 14,is secured the lpinion 29 which is adapted to mesh with the gears 30(see Fig. 3) supported from the stationary casing 10 by means of theattached supports 31. These gears are housed by the end drum 32 which isformed with the internal gear 33, the drum being attached through aspline hub to the shaft 14 and adapted to rotate therewith. This geararrangement will serve to stabilize the motion of the rotating parts andgear ratio is such as to produce a drive shaft speed desired accordingto the purpose for `which the engine is constructed.

The sleeve pistons are provided with ports 34 which are designed duringoperation to form inlet ports to the cylinders and register at apredetermined period of operation with theradial fuel deliverypassageway 16h. In the lower portion of Fig. 1 the cylinder isillustrated as being.

in the intake position and the port 34 registers with its correspondingradial fuel delivery passageway 16b.

In the opposite side of the sleeve pistons, ports 35 are positionedwhich constitute the exhaust ports for the cylinders. These portsregister with the discharge nozzles 36 formed in the cylinder walls uponexhaust and discharge the exhaust gases through the nozzles 36. Thesenozzles are formed with inclined discharge passages clearly illustratedin Figure 2 designed to forcibly discharge the exhaust gases immediatelycombustion takes place so that they directly impinge upon a series ofvanes 37 which are circumferentially arranged around the cage or controlmember 26. This causes rotation of the cage 26.

During operation in this manner, the peripheral velocity of the vanesadded to the peripheral velocity of the nozzles results as nearly aspracticable in the vane velocity required (working out normally at about50% of jet velocity) according to the nozzle design and depending uponthe type of fuel used.

'I'he gases finally discharge into the annular ring passageway 38 and tothe exhaust manifold in usual manner via the conduit 39 illustrated inFig. 2.

With the foregoing description it will be realized that, upon combustiontaking place within the cylinders, the cage 26 will be caused to rotatethrough the medium of the discharging gases acting upon the vanes 37.'I'his will cause rotation of the drive shaft and attached parts, mainlythe cylinders, and, due to .the formation of the cam tracks 24 and thebearing engagement of the piston extensions 21 therewith, the operationof the pistons is directly controlled. The cage upon rotation, throughthe medium of the gear .train described, will cause rotation of theshaft in the opposite direction thus effecting smooth operation of thecam tracks in relation to the pistons and accurately controlling theiroperation.

The ignition system may be of any desired well known form eitherelectrical or through temperature due to compression. In Fig. 6 I haveillustrated one form of arrangement for the ignition consisting of anelectric conductor 40 which iscarried upon one end of the cage 26adapted to contact with a carbon or brush mounted on the casing 10, thecontact being made in well known manner. 'I'he end of the conductor 41which is of course insulated from its mounting is designed to extendwithin the cage 26 and adjacent one of the cam tracks 24 at a pointcorresponding to maximum compression within the cylinders.

A brush 42 is mounted on one end of the extensions 21 of the pistons andadapted to make high tension electric contact with the end 41 of theconductor without mechanical shock. A conductor 43 extends through theextension of the pistons to terminate within the cylinders in the sparkterminal 44.

Thus the charge is ired at the correct moment, namely maximumcompression and due to the fact that the mounting of the conductor 40,namely the casing 10, also supports the cam tracks 24, the relativeposition of the conductor with respect to the cam track is never changedso that the firing of the charge will always be constant.

In the operation of the cylinders it will be ap- Y parent that it may benecessary to adjust the pressure of the ball bearings 23 within thepiston extension channels 22 and to this end I have formed one end ofthe extensions with the 'threaded orifice 47 communicating with thechannels 22. A correspondingly threaded plug 48 is adapted to be screwedinto the orifice 27 and to bear upon the adjacent ball bearing so thatthe pressure of these bearings upon the track may be adjusted.

Likewise it will be found desirable to adjust the cam tracks to providefor fine adjustment of the combustion controlling area of the tracks toarrange for combustion within the cylinders inaccordance with climaticvariations or variations in fuel elements. In other words by providingfor adjustment of the tracks the moment of combustion can be determinedwith certainty under all conditions, the adjustment of course beingvirtually an alteration of the compression ratio. In Figure 7- of thedrawings one suitable manner of adjustment for the cam tracks isillustrated which includes the serrated formation 49 on the interior ofthe cage adapted to co-operate with a corresponding formation 50 on theseparately constructed cam tracks, the cam tracks being secured to thecage by means of the bolt 51 which projects through a slot 52 in thecage to enter into a threaded orifice in the 'cam track. To adjust thetrack it is only necessary to loosen the bolt 51 and move the track ineither direction in accordance with the adjustment required.

In general operation fuel is supplied to cylinders 17 through theconduit 15 in shaft 14, and radial fuel passages 1Gb. In Fig. l: thelower cylinder is illustrated at the end of the intake stroke about tostart the compression stroke, the opposite cylinder being at the end ofits compression stroke and at the point of ignition upon communicationof the exhaust passageway 35 in the sleeve pistons with the nozzle 36.Upon explosion of the charge,

-the exhaust gases vare'very forcibly discharged through the nozzles 36immediately striking the vanes 37 causing the control member or cage 26to rotate in one direction and through the train of gears 29, 30 andinternal gear 33, operated by the cage, effect rotation of the driveshaft 14 and attached parts in an opposite direction. The remainingcylinders, of course, operate successively in similar manner, ignitiontaking place in each cylinder upon maximum compression, the rotating camtracks accurately controlling the operation of the oppositely rotatingpistons. The ignition is also directly controlled by the cam tracks, sothat the operation throughout is always entirely uniform.

The speed of rotation of the"'shaft is of course controlled by the gearratio of the gear train, the ratio being such as to produce the speeddesired in the driving shaft according to the purpose for which theengine is constructed. The cam tracks of course may be designed so as toprovide for two strokes of the pistons in one revolution.

It is quite apparent that the salient feature of the present inventionis the principle of the con` version into kinetc energy of the forces ofexhaust gases and, the utilization of the force of reaction on thenozzles, through the drive shaft. Upon discharge of gases through thenozzles 36, a reaction is consequent upon the discharging gases leavingthe nozzles, which is somewhat analogous to the kick imparted to a riewhen red. Thus the nozzle supporting structure, viz-the cylinders andsupporting structure, will receive a reactionary propulsion in theopposite direction to the movement -of the vanes which is chiey due tothe inclination of the nozzles. This will, of course, be transmitted tothe drive shaft and supplement its power. It will be readily seen,therefore, that this invention embodies the harnessing of energy exertedthrough the movement of gases, both through impulse and reaction. Thepoint of unity of these two forces acting in opposite directions is atthe gear train 29, 30 and internal gear 33 where both impulse andreaction are harnessed to the rotating shaft.

It will be apparent that a great many advantages are provided by thistype of engine. The construction is of comparatively simple type with asmall number of parts in the total assemblage which enhances maintenanceand repair operations. Various types of fuel may be used with thisengine such as crude oil or any of its derivatives, also producer ornatural gas. Regardless of the fuel, the engine may be started withcomparative ease by reason of the cam track principle involved whichreduces to a minimum the power required to overcome compression.

Due to the manner in which compression is overcome, viz-through thesimple cam track principle, the injection into the cylinders of the fuelbody in proper volume ratio is practical owing to the eliminationentirely of the possibility of back firing if the charge should bepreignited.n For instance, if the charge is red when the pistons 19 and20 are halfway through the compression stroke, that is after the inletport 34 has been closed and before exhaust port 35 is opened, then theforce thus created on the l`illustrated so that all working parts areencased,

thereby eliminating a great deal of trouble arising through the presenceof dirt and dust. In addi- -tion to this it will be realized that astructure of this character may be constructed economically in a greatrange of sizes, but it will be realized that the illustration in thepresent application does not necessarily have to be followed but thatvariations to suit commercial production may be readily effected in thestructure when entering into the production stage.

Various modifications may be made in this invention without departingfrom thespirit thereof or the scope of the claims, and therefore theexactforms shown are to be taken as illustrative onlyl and not in alimiting sense, and it is desired that only such limitations shall beplaced thereon as are disclosed in the prior art or are set forth in theaccompanying claims.

What Il claim as my invention isz- 1. A turbine engine comprising acasing, a drive shaft rotatably mounted in the casing, a plurality ofcylinders forming combustion chambers mounted in the casing and rigidlyconnected to the l drive shaft, pistons Within said cylinders, means forintroducing a combustible charge to said cylinders, means for ignitingeach charge, an operating member rotatably mounted on and operativelyconnected to said drive shaft, means for directing the combustion gasesfrom said cylinders to rotate said operating member and drive shaft, andmeans on said operating member. for operating said pistons. l

2. A turbine engine comprising a casing, a drive shaft rotatably mountedin the casing, a plurality of cylinders forming combustion chambersmounted within the casing and rigidly connected to the drive shaft,opposed pistons within said cylinders, means for introducing acombustible charge to -the cylinders, means for igniting each charge,means in connection with one of the opposed pistons for controllinginlet and exhaust ports to the cylinders, an operating member rotatablymounted on and operatively connected to the drive shaft, means fordirecting the combustion gases discharging from said cylinders to rotatesaid operating member and drive shaft, and means `on said operatingmember for operating said pistons.

3. A turbine engine comprising a casing, a drive shaft rotatably mountedin the casing, a plurality of cylinders forming combustion chambersmounted within the casing and rigidly connected to the drive shaft,opposed pistons within said cylinders, means for introducing acombustible charge to the cylinders, means for igniting each charge, arotatable cage surrounding said cylinders and operatively connected tothe drive shaft, means for directing the combustion gases dischargingfrom said cylinders to rotate said cage, and a pair of opposed inclinedcam tracks projecting from the interior of said cage inoperativeconnection with said pistons to operate the pis-Y tons upon rotation ofsaid cage. 1

4. A turbine engine comprising a casing, a driv shaft rotatably mountedin the casing, a plurality of cylinders forming combustion chambersmounted within the casing and rigidly connected to the drive shaft,opposed pistons within said cylinders, means for introducing acombustible charge to the cylinders, means for igniting each charge, arotatable cage surrounding said cylinders and operatively connected tothe drive shaft, a plurality of vanes carried by the cage, means forforcibly directing combustion gases from the cylinders against saidvanes to rotate the cage and drive shaft, and means carried by said cageoperatively connected to said pistons for operating said pistons duringrotation of the cage,

5. A turbine engine comprising a casing, a drive shaft rotatably mountedin the casing, a pluralityv of cylinders forming combustion chambersmounted within the casing and rigidly connected to the drive shaft,opposed pistons Within said cylinders, means for introducing acombustible charge to the cylinders, means for igniting each charge, arotatable cage surrounding said cylinders and operatively connected tothe drive shaft, a plurality of vanes provided on the cage -positionedin register with a discharge port in said cylinders, means for forciblydirecting exhaust gases from said cylinders against said vanes to rotatesaid cage and drive shaft, means for stabilizing the rotating parts, andmeans carried by said cage for operating said pistons on rotation of thecage.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for operatingsaid pistons comprise inclined cam tracks supported within and rotatedwith the operating member and operatively connected to the pistons.

'1. A turbine engine comprising a casing, a drive shaft rotatablymounted in the casing, a plurality of cylinders forming combustionchambers mounted inthe casing and rigidly connected to the drive shaft,pistons within said cylinders, means for introducing a combustiblecharge to said cylinders, means for igniting each charge, a rotatablecage surrounding said cylinders and operatively connected to the driveshaft, extensions on said pistons, channels formed in said extensionsadapted to engage with inclined cam tracks carried by and projectingwithin the rotatable cage, and means for directing the combustion gasesdischarging from said cylinders to rotate said operating member and drivshaft.

8. A turbine engine comprising a casing, a drive shaft rotatably mountedin the casing, a plurality of cylinders forming combustion chambersmounted inthe casing and rigidly connected to the drive shaft, pistonswithin said cylinders, means for introducing a combustible charge tosaid cylinders, means for igniting each charge, a rotatable cagesurrounding said cylinders and operatively connected to the drive shaft,a plurality of vanes carried by the cage andpositioned in registry withan exhaust port in the cylinders, inclined cam tracks mounted on andprojecting within said cage and designed to rotate therewith, extensionson said pistons, channels formed in said extensions and adapted tooperatively engage with the inclined cam tracks, and means fordirecting-the combustion gases discharging from said cylinders onto saidvanes to rotate said cage and driveushaft.

9. The device as claimed in claim 5 in which the means for forciblydirecting exhaust gases against the vanes comprise nozzles positioned onthe cylinders discharging at anincline and communicating with theexhaust ports of the cylinders.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, in which the pistons are formedwith extensions provided with channels cut therein adapted to extendaround cam tracks for guiding the movement of the pistons, said camtracks being carried by the operating member, and means onsaidextensions for varying the bearing contact of the extensions withthe cam tracks.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, in which the drive shaft is boredto provide a fuel passageway, said drive shaft carrying a disc formedwith radial passageways communicating with said bore and with saidcylinders.

12. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a drive shaft rotatably mountedwithin the casing, a plurality of cylinders forming combustion chambersmounted within the casing and rigidly secured to the drive shaft,opposed pistons within said cylinders, means for introducing acombustible charge to said cylinders, means for igniting each charge, arotatable cage surrounding said cylinders and operatively connected tothe drive shaft, a plurality of vanes provided on the cage positioned inregister with said cylinders, opposed cam tracks supported within saidcage, means for operatively connecting said cam tracks with the pistonsand means for forcibly directing exhaust gases from said cylindersagainst'said vanes to cause rotation 'of the cage and shaft.

FREDERICK GEORGE MOORE.

